A former Richmond County Commission member recently began serving nearly three weeks in jail after pleading guilty to shoplifting makeup and medicine from a pharmacy on Christmas Eve.

Paul William “Bill” Hiers, 69, was sentenced to 20 days in the Columbia County Detention Center and 12 months probation on June 2 after he pled guilty to misdemeanor shoplifting. He reported to the jail Monday to begin serving the sentence.

The second of three Au­gusta hospitals vying to build a hospital in Columbia County formally filed for permission to do so Thursday.

Georgia Regents Medical Center filed the required certificate of need to build a $195 million teaching hospital in Grovetown. University Hospital turned in its application in late May, and Doctors Hospital is on track to submit one as well.

The following accounts were taken from Columbia County Sheriff’s Office incident reports:

Home invasion is reported in Martinez

A 20-year-old Martinez man said four men forced their way into the apartment he shared with others on Saturday night.

The man said that about 11:30 p.m., someone tried to open the door to the Applecross apartment. The intruders were stopped by the chain lock on the door. Unaware of who was trying to come in, one of the men opened the door.

Boaters are asked to post photos of themselves wearing their life vests for a chance to win prizes as part of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers WEAR IT to Win it campaign.

“We’re wanting to promote the use of life jackets any time that you’re in, on or near the water,” said Tracy Robillard, a spokeswoman for the corps’ Savannah District. “So we’re asking people to share their photos with us on social media to get people excited about wearing their life jackets.”

Authorities are urging residents to stay away from a black bear recently seen wandering in Columbia and Richmond counties.

Georgia Department of Natural Resources biologist I.B. Parnell said the department received several calls Sunday evening about a bear roaming the areas around Furys Ferry Road from Baston to Washington roads. It was caught on surveillance camera footage from a car dealership on Washington Road near Warren Road.

The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office reports a pedestrian stuck by a vehicle this morning, and the coroner says the accident was fatal.

According to Coroner Mark Bowen, the victim killed in the 2100 block of Old Savannah Road has been identified as Sujada Lazana Truitt, 19, of 300 Apple Crossing Drive, Martinez.

According to a news release, Bowen said Truitt was walking south in the 2100 block of Old Savannah Road about 4:30 a.m. when she was hit by a southbound vehicle. Truitt was pronounced dead at the scene at 5:05 a.m..

After not being able to reach Stoddard, 64, over the weekend, the Grovetown Department of Public Safety received several calls from concerned friends and family. Officers went to his Williams Street home early Monday and had to break in, according to Chief Gary Owens. They found Stoddard dead.